Technology

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, April 19 (game #677).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #679) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BAR
• JOKE
• BUNNY
• SHIRT
• DYE
• WHIP
• SOCK
• РЕЕР
• EGG
• GANDER
• HIP
• RUBBER BANDS
• LOOK
• BASIN
• CODE
• GLANCE

NYT Connections today (game #679) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Eye spy
• GREEN: 70s DIY fashion
• BLUE: The common theme rhymes with “back” 
• PURPLE: A small jump

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #679) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: GLIMPSE 
• GREEN: NEEDS FOR TIE-DYEING A SHIRT 
• BLUE: THINGS YOU CAN CRACK 
• PURPLE: WORDS BEFORE "HOP" 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #679) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #679, are…

• YELLOW: GLIMPSE GANDER, GLANCE, LOOK, PEEP
• GREEN: NEEDS FOR TIE-DYEING A SHIRT BASIN, DYE, RUBBER BANDS, SHIRT
• BLUE: THINGS YOU CAN CRACK CODE, EGG, JOKE, WHIP
• PURPLE: WORDS BEFORE "HOP" BAR, BUNNY, HIP, SOCK

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 mistakes

I got the green group NEEDS FOR TIE-DYEING without knowing what I was looking for, just a process of elimination with the eight words I had left. It’s not something that I’ve ever personally done and I had no idea of the process.

GLIMPSE was a good deal easier — interestingly, GANDER was in yesterday’s “Take a ___” themed Strands and the trick pairing of PEEPs and BUNNY appeared in today’s. It feels like we are getting ever closer to a mash-up between the two puzzles – like when the cast of Family Guy appeared in The Simpsons.

THINGS YOU CAN CRACK was a great category for Easter, although I almost included HIP.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 19 April, game #678)

• YELLOW: SPOKEN PRESENTATION ADDRESS, LECTURE, SPEECH, TALK
• GREEN: ADJECTIVES FOR A DESERT DRY, HOT, SANDY, VAST
• BLUE: DOG BREEDS, INFORMALLY BULLY, CHOW, GOLDEN, LAB
• PURPLE: REPRESENTED BY THREE-DIGIT NUMBERS CANNABIS, DEVIL, INTRO CLASS, JAMES BOND

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, April 19 (game #412).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #413) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… On the hunt

NYT Strands today (game #413) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• SEEDY
• CAKE
• SOAK
• NECK
• CARE
• BORE

NYT Strands today (game #413) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 12 letters

NYT Strands today (game #413) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 3rd row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #413) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #413, are…

• BUNNY
• TOYS
• BOOK
• EGGS
• CHOCOLATE
• CANDY
• PEEPS
• SPANGRAM: EASTER BASKET

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

An easy, relaxing wordsearch that saw my mind wandering.

I have a friend in construction who spent 18 months building an enormous factory that was completely dedicated to year-round production of Easter EGGS. It seems crazy for a product that really should just be available for a couple of weeks a year.

However, in the UK, Easter has a bigger build-up than any other chocolate-based holiday (let’s face it, they’re all about the chocolate). Almost as soon as Christmas is over the first hollow chocolate eggs start appearing – from actual egg-sized to chocolate eggs the size of your head – slowly multiplying and taking up entire supermarket aisles until tomorrow, when they will vanish completely.

According to my research (erm, TikTok) things seem a bit calmer elsewhere in the world – although the US has PEEPS, a marshmallow delight that has failed to make it anywhere else in the world. Maybe they have really high tariffs or something.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 19 April, game #412)

• HINT
• CHANCE
• HIKE
• GANDER
• NUMBER
• SELFIE
• BREATHER
• SPANGRAM: TAKE THAT

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, April 19 (game #1181).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1182) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1182) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1182) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1182) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1182) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• D

• H

• S

• F

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1182) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1182, are…

• DINER
• HORDE
• SHONE
• FUGUE

My winning streak continues, but today was far from easy and I spent quite a while entering my remaining letters, until I got to something that sounded right.

The only time I’ve heard the word FUGUE was in an early episode of Breaking Bad, when science-teacher-turned-drug-lord Walter White staged a fugue state to get out of a sticky situation.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1182) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1182, are…

• SWELL
• ITCHY
• PAPER
• GUILT

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1181, Saturday, 19 April: GRADE, LAUGH, RAINY, EXULT
• Quordle #1180, Friday, 18 April: DEBUT, GLADE, BASTE, PESTO
• Quordle #1179, Thursday, 17 April: SPRAY, RAMEN, SHELF, COURT
• Quordle #1178, Wednesday 16 April: STUMP, GRAFT, CHORD, INPUT
• Quordle #1177, Tuesday 15 April: SLEET, MERIT, HARSH, FORAY
• Quordle #1176, Monday 14 April: DRAWL, CROOK, ACTOR, LANCE
• Quordle #1175, Sunday 13 April: SHALE, KINKY, SHORN, WHOOP
• Quordle #1174, Saturday 12 April: BLIND, OVOID, CACHE, THING
• Quordle #1173, Friday 11 April: FOLLY, PITHY, SCOWL, CURLY
• Quordle #1172, Thursday 10 April: LEAST, SEWER, UNTIE, NOOSE
• Quordle #1171, Wednesday 9 April: LITHE, LEFTY, KNOLL, MULCH
• Quordle #1170, Tuesday 8 April: WIDTH, VISOR, MEDAL, BROOK
• Quordle #1169, Monday 7 April: BROTH, SHOUT, BRUTE, CABIN
• Quordle #1168, Sunday 6 April: AMBER, GAUZE, STORE, SLICK
• Quordle #1167, Saturday 5 April: GUSTY, VAULT, WHINE, BEGAT
• Quordle #1166, Friday 4 April: OAKEN, LOOPY, CURIO, BUTTE
• Quordle #1165, Thursday 3 April: ASCOT, JETTY, DRUNK, JOLLY
• Quordle #1164, Wednesday 2 April: INDEX, QUEEN, INCUR, STOLE
• Quordle #1163, Tuesday 1 April: HUMUS, BALMY, WORRY, ERECT
• Quordle #1162, Monday 31 March: RECUT, MOODY, WHERE, BRACE

Can the in-form Verdiblancos derail Barça's title challenge?

The Cityzens look to tighten their grip on 4th place as they head to Merseyside to face David Moyes' Toffees.

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 – key information

- No release date announced yet
- Filming began in late February
- No trailer available to watch
- Main cast set to return
- New additions to its ensemble cast leaked online in March
- No official story synopsis revealed
- Season 1 finale sets the scene for next season
- No word on whether there'll be a third season

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 will continue Matt Murdock and his vigilante alter-ego's journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The highly-rated Disney+ TV show, which mostly thrilled us during its first season, will be back for more R-rated, street-level action in the near future. Indeed, with principal photography beginning in late February, season 2 could be with us as early as next year.

While we wait for Daredevil: Born Again to return, there's plenty to read about its sophomore chapter in this guide, including information on its cast, plot, and future. Major spoilers follow for the popular series' first season, so proceed with caution if you haven't watched it all yet.

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 release date – what we know so far

Born Again season 2 won't be with us until sometime in 2026 (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 doesn't have a confirmed release date.

However, speaking on the Phase Zero podcast prior to season 1's release, Marvel's Head of TV, Animation, and Streaming, Brad Winderbaum, revealed season 2 would start shooting in late February. At the time of this article's publication (April 19), that means the cameras have been rolling for almost two months.

As for when the Marvel Phase 6 TV series might make its debut, Winderbaum told ScreenRant that he hoped new seasons would be released annually. That means Born Again season 2 could arrive sometime next year.

My best guess? It'll begin airing in early 2026. Aside from Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which will arrive in theaters in May and July 2026, no other MCU projects have official release dates. With such a big gap between Marvel's final release of 2025 and Avengers 5, a February or March 2026 release window feels like a perfect fit for Born Again's next installment.

And it seems I've perfectly nailed my guess. Taking to Instagram after the season 1 finale, showrunner Dario Scardapane all but confirmed season 2 will be released in March 2026.

Is there a trailer for Daredevil: Born Again season 2?

Staring at your phone or computer screen waiting for a season 2 trailer like... (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

No, and there won't be a Daredevil: Born Again season 2 trailer until much closer to its launch on Disney+. I'll update this section once one is released.

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 confirmed cast

Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk will be part of next season's cast (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Spoilers follow for Daredevil: Born Again season 1.

Based on the final episode of Daredevil: Born Again season 1, here's who I expect to return for its follow-up:

• Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil
• Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk
• Margarita Levieva as Heather Glenn
• Nikki M. James as Kristen McDuffie
• Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page
• Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher
• Wilson Bethel as Benjamin Pointdexter/Bullseye
• Ayelet Zuhrer as Vanessa Fisk
• Genneya Walton as B.B. Urich
• Arty Froushan as Buck Cashman
• Michael Gandolfini as Daniel Blake
• Zabryna Guevara as Sheila Rivera
• Clark Johnson as Cherry
• Camila Rodriguez as Angela del Toro
• Hamish Allan-Headley as Conner Powell
• Tony Dalton as Jack Duquesne/Swordsman

They aren't the only actors we'll see in one of the best Disney+ shows' next installment.

Per Deadline, Matthew Lillard (Five Nights at Freddy's, Scooby-Doo) has apparently signed on in an undisclosed role. Deadline has also claimed Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) will appear as a political rival to D'Onofrio's Fisk.

Elsewhere, images snapped and uploaded to Getty Images by Bauer-Griffin photographer Jose Perez suggest Broadway star Sydney Parra will appear in some capacity.

Fans thought Foggy had died in Born Again's first episode (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

The biggest surprise when it comes to season 2's cast list, though, is the return of Elden Henson, who plays Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson.

Murdock's fellow lawyer and closest friend was seemingly killed by Bullseye in Born Again's first episode. However, following the show's two-episode premiere, Marvel fans came up with a wild theory that Foggy may still be alive. Some pointed out that Nelson's apparent death was eerily similar to how he faked his own demise in an Ed Brubaker-written Daredevil comic series in the mid-2010s, which Born Again is loosely based on.

Speaking to Phase Hero's Brandon Davis prior to season 1's debut, Winderbaum confirmed Elden Henson would be back as Foggy in the show's sophomore season. It's unclear in what capacity that'll be, though. Could it be a flashback sequence or two? Or, as some fans believe, is Foggy still alive? We'll find out when season 2 is released.

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 plot details

Matt Murdock is ready to take the fight to Wilson Fisk in season 2 (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Spoilers follow for Daredevil: Born Again season 1.

Born Again season 2's story synopsis hasn't been revealed yet. But, based on how its predecessor ended, what its cast has teased, and some leaked images from where it's being filmed in real-world locations, we have a good idea of what might happen.

I won't be covering what happened in last season's final episode here. For a full rundown of events in 'Straight to Hell', plus some key questions that season 2 needs to answer, my Daredevil: Born Again season 1 ending explained piece should be your first port of call.

Additionally, on the non-spoiler front, Cox hyped up the story that'll be told in season 2, the show's lead telling Collider that it's "some of my favorite stuff I've read". D'Onofrio also told a round table of journalists (per IGN) that he "had to have a little cry about" this season's scripts due to the emotional impact they'll have on viewers.

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But what can we expect from season 2's overarching narrative from a spoiler-led perspective? For starters, this season has been in development since March 2023. In light of the creative troubles Born Again season 1 was met with later that year, the show underwent an overhaul, which included the hiring of current showrunner Dario Scardapane and directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead.

One thing that was retained, though, was its episodic structure. Like season 1, the show's sophomore outing will comprise eight episodes, which Scardapane reconfirmed to Collider in February.

As its predecessor's finale revealed, Matt Murdock and Karen Page co-founded an underground resistance movement that'll fight Fisk's fascist regime to regain control of New York's streets.

We already have a sense of how they'll start to do so, too. In late March, a bunch of first-look season 2 images appeared online that showed Murdock and Page wearing disguises (or what passes for a disguise in the MCU). Clearly, they're scoping out something or someone, or they're on the hunt for new allies to join their cause.

pic.twitter.com/MkWIh1cIDVApril 11, 2025

That won't be the only costume overhaul that Cox's Murdock will get in season 2. As some leaked images in the above X/Twitter post reveal, Murdock will be sporting Daredevil's classic black suit, complete with its red-colored 'DD' logo on the chest, next time around.

Bullseye, who Daredevil will pursue and/or escape from Fisk's Anti-Vigilante Task Force (AVTF) with, is also seen wearing an updated version of his classic costume. Clearly, the pair haven't heeded Fisk's warning about vigilantes taking to the streets amid the implementation of martial law in New York – part of his 'safer streets' initiative to eradicate the scourge of masked individuals from the city.

There are plenty more superhuman characters who could populate the street corner of the MCU, including those who appeared in Netflix's now-defunct Marvel TV universe. So, what are the chances of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist not only making their MCU debuts in season 2 but helping Daredevil combat the threat that the Fisks pose?

In conversation with Entertainment Weekly (EW), Winderbaum and fellow producer Sana Amanat wouldn't rule out one or all of those characters, or even the reintroduction of Elektra and The Hand, showing up in Daredevil: Born Again season 2.

Tom Holland's Spider-Man isn't likely to appear in season 2 (Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Entertainment)

One hero who's incredibly unlikely to join Daredevil's cause (on the small screen, anyway) is Tom Holland's Spider-Man.

There were references to Spider-Man in Born Again episode 2 and Born Again episode 3. However, Sony Pictures owns the live-action rights to the webslinger, so, unless Marvel strikes an expensive deal with the tech giant's entertainment division, the chances of Peter Parker popping in to help take down Fisk are effectively zero. We live in hope, then, that The Devil of Hell's Kitchen will team up with Spidey in a big-screen project instead.

Where to watch Daredevil: Born Again season 1

You'll be waltzing to Disney+ to stream all nine episodes of Daredevil: Born Again (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 is only available to stream on Disney+, aka one of the world's best streaming services.

If you haven't watched its nine episodes to date but are interested in doing so, you'll need to sign up for an account. Check out our Disney+ price guide for more on how much a subscription will cost you.

Will there be a third season of Daredevil: Born Again?

Frank Castle/The Punisher will star in his own Disney+ special, which could also arrive in 2026 (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 is highly unlikely to have any impact on what'll happen in the next two Avengers movies or Spider-Man 4. However, other projects will be *ahem* born out of what happened last season and in the series' next outing.

The first of those will be a Disney+ special presentation starring Frank Castle/The Punisher. Per The Hollywood Reporter, it could be released in 2026, so events in this TV Special may run parallel to Born Again's next chapter. It's being co-written by Bernthal and We Own This City director Reinaldo Marcus Green, who has called it a "shotgun blast of a story" (via EW).

As I mentioned earlier, Marvel may look to revisit characters from Netflix's Defenders-Verse, too. Speaking to ComicBook.com, Winderbaum intimated it was "inevitable" that the likes of Jones, Cage et al. would make their MCU debuts before telling EW that the comic book giant was "very much exploring" ways to bring them over.

The devil, though, is in the details, so we'll see what shakes out of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 first before expecting too much, too soon on a potential The Defenders reunion.

For more Marvel coverage, read my guides on Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Doomsday, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

• British photographer Zed Nelson scoops SWPA's $25,000 top prize
• 10 category winners announced
• The exhibition is open to the public at London’s Somerset House until May 5

"In a tiny fraction of Earth's history, humans have altered the world beyond anything it has experienced in tens of millions of years. Scientists are calling it a new epoch: The Anthropocene – the age of human".

These are the opening words describing the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 winner Zed Nelson's project, The Anthropocene Illusion.

The project, spanning six years and four continents, explores humankind's consumer behaviour towards nature and wildlife.

"So, while we devastate the world around us, we have become masters of a stage-managed, artificial 'experience' of nature – a reassuring spectacle, an illusion...to mask our destructive impact on the natural world."

Powerful words and confrontational images of wildlife in zoos, national parks, and museums across the world, some of which I have included below.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: © Zed Nelson, United Kingdom, Photographer of the Year, Professional competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2025 - 9)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: © Zed Nelson, United Kingdom, Photographer of the Year, Professional competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2025 - 4)

As I prepared to interview Zed during the opening day of the SWPA 2025 exhibition, which is being held at Somerset House in London until May 5, it struck me how severely AI is impacting the landscape of imaging in an equally tiny fraction of the history of photography.

I asked Zed for his thoughts on AI image generation in photography, and here's what he said.

"The biggest worry in documentary photography, is people stop believing in what they see. Already we're at the stage where we can see an image and the first questions are; Is this photoshopped? Did that really happen? Did you move something? Is that image real?

"The problem with that, is that the joy and beauty in photography is to see something and be amazed and think this did happen, this is real, this is a record – even for future generations – of who we were and what we did.

"If AI erodes people's belief in the medium (photography) then we have problems. On the other hand, it may be that we start valuing truth more. And if an image is declared real - this is not AI, but a document of reality – it may be that its value increases.

There will also be a move, a valuing of what is real, and so documentary work will start to become more important, not less.

"As AI multiplies it will cause problems, people will question what's real and what isn't. But I imagine there will also be a move, a valuing of what is real, and so documentary work will start to become more important, not less. People will crave it, they'll want to know it's real.

"I think there will be a separation between what is utterly created through AI, and what is declared real. We will gravitate to what is verified as real, made by people that care, and have a genuine interest in telling stories."

After our conversation, I amble through the SWPA exhibition, soaking in the diverse collection of very real images. A greater appreciation grows in me for those real stories, real people, real places, created in a real moment in time, and they impact me all the more.

I concur with Zed – even as AI-generated images become increasingly believable and plentiful, and the tools become easier and cheaper to access, we'll still need to know and experience what is real, and be moved by it.

We can't afford to be disconnected from photography because of AI image generation, in the same way that Zed suggests in his project that we have become disconnected from nature and are instead consumers of it.

I've included a selection of the SWPA winning images below. Even so, if you're in London, I highly recommend experiencing the exhibition firsthand and seeking out other photography shows near you. More details can be found at the World Photography Organisation website.

The Sony World Photography Awards 2025 winners for each category

The Sony World Photography Awards comprises 10 categories, and the winner of one of these categories is also awarded the overall photographer of the year. As mentioned, this year's award went to Zed Nelson, who also won the Wildlife & Nature category.

In addition to those categories, there is a student photographer and a youth photographer of the year award. I've included an image from each of those winners below.

In all, there were around 420,000 entries from 206 countries – a record for the 18-year-old contest.

WILDLIFE & NATURE WINNER & PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR: Zed Nelson (United Kingdom) for The Anthropocene Illusion (Image credit: © Zed Nelson, United Kingdom, Photographer of the Year, Professional competition, Wildlife & Nature, Sony World Photography Awards 2025 - 9)

OPEN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR: Olivier Unia (France) (Image credit: © Olivier Unia, France, Open Photographer of the Year, Open Competition, Motion, Sony World Photography Awards 2025)

PERSPECTIVES WINNER: Laura Pannack (United Kingdom) for The Journey Home from School (Image credit: © Laura Pannack, United Kingdom, Winner, Professional competition, Perspectives, Sony World Photography Awards 2025 - 1)

SPORT WINNER: Chantal Pinzi (Italy) for Shred the Patriarchy (Image credit: © Chantal Pinzi, Italy, Winner, Professional competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2025)

CREATIVE WINNER: Rhiannon Adam (United Kingdom) for Rhi-Entry (Image credit: © Rhiannon Adam, United Kingdom, Winner, Professional competition, Creative, Sony World Photography Awards 2025 - 6)

DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS WINNER: Toby Binder (Germany) for Divided Youth of Belfast (Image credit: © Toby Binder, Germany, Winner, Professional competition, Documentary Projects, Sony World Photography Awards 2025 - 2)

STILL LIFE WINNER: Peter Franck (Germany) for Still Waiting (Image credit: © Peter Franck, Germany, Winner, Professional competition, Still Life, Sony World Photography Awards 2025 - 2)

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN WINNER: Ulana Switucha (Canada) for The Tokyo Toilet Project (Image credit: © Ulana Switucha, Canada, Winner, Professional competition, Architecture & Design, Sony World Photography Awards 2025 - 3)

YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR: Daniel Dian-Ji Wu (Taiwan, 16 years old) (Image credit: © Daniel Dian-Ji Wu, Taiwan, Youth Photographer of the Year, Youth Competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025)

Student Photographer of the Year 2025: Micaela Valdivia Medina (Peru) (Image credit: © Micaela Valdivia Medina, Peru, Student Photographer of the Year, Student Competition, Sony World Photography Awards 2025 )

ENVIRONMENT WINNER: Nicolás Garrido Huguet (Peru) for Alquimia Textil (Image credit: © Nicolas Garrido Huguet)

PORTRAITURE WINNER: Gui Christ (Brazil) for M’kumba (Image credit: © Gui Christ ) You might also like

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Apple and Samsung's best phones can take amazing photos. But which does it better? Let's find out.

Rumor has it that Apple could introduce a new version of its tiny item tracker. Here is all the information we've heard about it.

• Another iPhone 17 dummy unit image appears
• We can see all four expected models next to each other
• Some designs are changing on these models

Day by day we're getting closer to September and the expected launch of the iPhone 17, and ahead of the official reveal, we've seen several leaked images purporting to show off this series of handsets – including a new picture featuring all four models.

This comes from well-known tipster @MajinBuOfficial, who posted an image to social media showing dummy units of what we think are the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17.

They go down in size, starting with the iPhone 17 Pro Max as the biggest. That phone has been tipped to have a 6.9-inch display, with a 6.6-inch screen for the iPhone 17 Air, a 6.3-inch screen for the iPhone 17 Pro, and a 6.1 inch screen for the iPhone 17.

That's all largely similar to the current models in terms of screen size, though the iPhone 17 Air is a new addition, so we can't compare it to anything else. It's said to be replacing the iPhone 16 Plus in the line-up, which has a 6.7-inch display.

Cameras and charging

iPhone 17 Lineup pic.twitter.com/JidhEInOofApril 18, 2025

We can see here the rear camera bumps on these iPhones, which in the case of the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro, are going to look substantially different to the ones on the current models – as we've seen from other leaked renders.

The four phone dummy units shown here all show MagSafe connectors too, apparently confirming that the wireless charging tech will be coming to these handsets. Rather unexpectedly, Apple left it off the iPhone 16e launched in February.

Dummy units like these are built based on schematics obtained from the supply chain, and help accessory makers – third-party case manufacturers for example – get their products ready ahead of a phone actually going on sale.

As always, we shouldn't take any of this information as being 100% accurate until it's confirmed by Apple. However, a lot of the leaks and rumors we've seen so far are consistent in the designs they're showing for these 2025 iPhones.

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Executive producer James Cameron and wildlife filmmaker Bertie Gregory tell CNET how they captured never-before-seen moments for the docuseries.

Gather 'round, because we've got some tech tales to tell: TechRadar stories from the last seven days, covering new movie trailers, new instant cameras, new open-ear earbuds, problems for Spotify and Samsung, and more advances in artificial intelligence.

We keep waiting for the pace of tech news across gadgets, AI, and software to slow down, but it certainly hasn't happened this week. In fact, it feels like there's more news to cover than ever, and we aim to cover as many of the most important announcements as we can.

This comprehensive In Case You Missed It round-up will bring you right up to speed with everything that's happened in tech news over the past week, giving you just enough time to take a moment before we go again for another seven days of news and rumors.

8. 28 Years Later terrified us in a new trailer

More zombie mayhem is on the way (Image credit: Sony Pictures)

With the original director-writer combo of Danny Boyle and Alex Garland from the first movie making a return for this third instalment, our hopes were already high for 28 Years Later – and anticipation levels just went up an extra notch after another trailer drop.

The 191-second clip manages to give us just enough of a look at the movie to whet our appetites without giving too much away. It certainly seems as though there will be enough jump scares and zombie gore to make the upcoming movie a treat for horror fans.

• Read more: 28 Years Later looks like it will be the horror movie of the year in new trailer that shows how the deadly rage virus has evolved

7. We got our first glimpse of the imminent OnePlus 13T

(Image credit: OnePlus)

The next OnePlus phone launch is almost upon us, with the OnePlus 13T officially arriving on April 24. We can take a good, long look at the handset before then, though, because OnePlus has released a short video showing the phone in three different colors.

We can see a flat back, curvy corners, and a new button that's replacing the standard OnePlus alert slider on this handset. We've also had confirmation that the phone will sport a 6.32-inch screen, and a capacious 6,000 mAh battery as well.

• Read more: The OnePlus 13T is coming on April 24, and the company has already shown it off

6. Samsung’s One UI 7 rollout hit some serious snags

The Samsung Galaxy S24 (Image credit: Future | Roland Moore-Colyer)

Getting One UI 7 out to the masses has proved to be quite the challenge for Samsung, and just when we thought owners of Galaxy S24, Galaxy Z Fold 6, and Galaxy Z Flip 7 phones would be getting the update, the rollout was put on pause amid reports of a serious bug.

It's likely to mean that owners of older phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S23, are going to have to wait even longer to get their One UI 7 upgrade. With Android 16 (and therefore One UI 8) just around the corner, it's not a good look if you're Samsung.

• Read more: Samsung's One UI 7 update reportedly delayed due to a serious bug, extending the wait for Android 15

5. The music died in Spotify’s biggest outage in years

It's not been the best of weeks for Spotify (Image credit: Shutterstock / Diego Thomazini)

We found ourselves scrambling for our CD decks and radio dials on Wednesday – or maybe just YouTube – as Spotify suffered one of the most serious outages in history. Reports of unresponsive apps came flooding in from across the world for most of the day.

We still don't know exactly what happened to trigger such a major problem on Spotify's servers. Perhaps the music streaming service is too embarrassed to tell us, but the company did specifically say that it wasn't a cyberattack causing the extensive issues.

• Read more: Spotify was down – here's everything we know about its huge outage

4. Sennheiser gave us some AirPods-like open earbuds

We like the look of the Sennheiser Accentum Open earbuds (Image credit: Sennheiser)

Say hello to the Sennheiser Accentum Open, an AirPods-esque pair of open-ear earbuds that don't cost much at all: in Europe they're listed at €89.90, which should work out as around £100 / £78 / AU$161 when these attractive-looking earbuds go on sale elsewhere.

As well as being affordable, they look lightweight and promise 28 hours of battery life between charges (if you include the case). We haven't had a chance to test them yet, but we're hoping they live up to the usual high fidelity standards of Sennheiser's audio gear.

• Read more: OpenAI just upgraded memory for ChatGPT – here's everything you need to know

3. The Polaroid Flip took us back to the 90s

Old-school photography, courtesy of the Polaroid Flip (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The Polaroid Flip is the newest analog instant camera on the market, and it might just be the best, too – take a look at some of the snaps we've managed to capture with the device, and make your own mind up about this $199.99 / £199.99 camera (Australia pricing is TBC).

It's fast and fun to use, and it's a throwback to when photos weren't stuck inside your smartphone forever: these photos actually make you feel something. Our full Polaroid Flip review will give you the complete rundown on this camera and what it has to offer.

• Read more: These 8 photos made me believe the Polaroid Flip is the best analog instant camera on the market

2. Two of the world’s best fitness apps teamed up

Strava and Runna are teaming up (Image credit: Strava)

Strava, meet Runna. These are both fantastic apps for tracking runs and other activities, and now they've joined forces: Strava has announced it's purchased Runna, although nothing is going to change in terms of how the two apps operate for the time being.

The aim is to "create even greater value for our users," according to Strava CEO Michael Martin, and we can expect to see some of the AI-powered personalized training plans that Runna specializes in making their way over to users on Strava as well, in due course.

• Read more: Strava acquires powerhouse AI-training platform Runna, and Garmin should be panicking

1. ChatGPT got some serious upgrades (again)

OpenAI has some more treats for ChatGPT users (Image credit: Shutterstock/JarTee)

OpenAI has been consistent in regularly pushing out upgrades for ChatGPT users, and the latest update brings new o3 and o4-mini models across all user plans. These models are smarter, faster, and better at working with different modes (including text and images).

In fact, these models are a nod towards the eventual arrival of the big GPT-5 upgrade, which is somewhere in the pipeline, and will be able to do much more on its own. In the meantime, images in ChatGPT have also been given their own dedicated Library section.

• Read more: ChatGPT just got a massive upgrade that takes it to the next level – here are the 3 biggest changes

• Andor's lead actor has opened up about the end of the Star Wars TV show after two seasons
• Diego Luna is relieved that the Rogue One prequel series wasn't cancelled
• It was originally supposed to run for five seasons

Diego Luna believes it's the right decision on Disney's part to allow Andor to end after two seasons rather than one.

Chatting to TechRadar before Andor season 2 debuts on Disney+, Luna expressed satisfaction and relief over the opportunity to tell "the story we wanted to" in the Rogue One prequel series. Indeed, Luna was glad that Disney afforded him, showrunner Tony Gilroy, and the rest of the cast and crew the chance to wrap up its narrative, rather than cancel the show after a single season.

Luna's worries about the Star Wars TV series ending before its time aren't unfounded. Despite the critical acclaim and award nominations Andor's first season was met with, it's no secret that its development was a costly endeavor.

Originally, Andor was supposed to run for five seasons, with its final installment leading directly into the events of Rogue One, However, per a report published by Forbes last December, it's estimated that the price for creating its first two seasons was an astronomical $645 million.

Development on Andor's two seasons reportedly cost over $600 million (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

With Disney cutting costs across the board during Bob Iger's second stint as CEO, Andor's five-season plan was never going to materialize.

Thankfully, during development on one of the best Disney+ shows' first season, Gilroy had a "great idea", according to Luna, to condense four seasons' worth of character arcs and wider storytelling into one more season comprising 12 episodes.

It's a format that Gilroy discussed with me prior to season 1's release in August 2022, with the series' head writer calling them "very sexy" time jumps that would depict a single yet important event in each of the four years leading up to the start of Rogue One. Each 12-month period will span three episodes apiece, therefore allowing each narrative the same time and space to depict their individual stories.

The Empire must be stopped. Artwork inspired by Andor and illustrated by @nadamaktari.Don’t miss the three-episode premiere of Andor, streaming April 22 only on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/h6vdkclbWhApril 17, 2025

"From the beginning [of this show], we knew what we wanted to do," Luna told me. "Structurally, the plan changed because we soon realized we couldn't commit to five seasons. It takes a lot of energy, time, and money to make one, because each season takes two and a half years of our lives.

"But, while we were shooting season one, Tony had this great idea of squeezing four seasons into one and essentially make four chapters.

"I also think that, today in long format storytelling and TV in general, a lot of shows start without knowing where or when they're going to end. But, from beginning to end, we told the story we wanted to tell and that's a beautiful thing to be able to do."

I'll have more exclusive content to bring you from my interviews with Diego and more of Andor's cast in the build up to, during, and after season 2's debut. In the meantime, read more of my Andor season 2 coverage below ahead of its April 22 launch in the US, and April 23 arrival in the UK and Australia.

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Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 19.

• IPVanish's malware and tracker blocking technology has been confirmed as one of the best on the market
• VIPRE Advanced Security received the highest rating in the latest AV-Comparatives' Malware Protection Test
• This achievement follows a successful independent audit confirming that IPVanish's no-log policy

Independent auditors have just confirmed that the technology behind IPVanish's malware and tracker-blocker tools is one of the best on the market.

VIPRE Advanced Security received the highest rating in the latest Malware Protection Test carried on by AV-Comparatives in March 2025. The antivirus bundle service stood out for its strong performance across several potential attack scenarios.

The results come about a week after an independent audit also confirmed that IPVanish never logs users' data, in line with what is stated in its no-log VPN policy.

A win for IPVanish users' security

In its latest Malware Protection Test, experts at AV-Comparatives checked the ability of 19 security products to detect and prevent infections from a wide range of malware threats. These include some of the best antivirus services like Avast, Bitdefender, McAfee, Norton, and more.

More than 10,000 of the most recent malware samples were tested on a fully updated Windows 11 machine, with the evaluation including offline and online scanning as well as live execution and mirroring real-world conditions.

VIPRE Advanced Security was among 10 providers to earn an Advanced+ rating from AV-Comparatives after excelling in all key metrics. Specifically, the tool detected 98.7% of threats consistently both online and offline, gaining a 99.93% protection score during live execution evaluations. It did all that while producing a minimum amount of false positives, too.

"This award is a win for all IPVanish users because the same cloud-based threat intelligence that earned VIPRE top marks is already working behind the scenes in IPVanish’s Threat Protection feature, along with our QR Code Checker and Link Checker security tools," the provider told TechRadar.

Our security just got a gold star. ⭐VIPRE, the engine behind IPVanish Threat Protection, earned AV-Comparatives’ top malware protection rating! That same power is built into your VPN. #IPVanish #CyberSecurity #AVComparatives #VPN #MalwareProtection https://t.co/k3LqbEoksTApril 16, 2025

IPVanish released its Threat Protection feature in March last year across all its apps, placing the provider alongside some of the best VPN services already offering a similar tool.

IPVanish Threat Protection works by filtering out third-party content before loading to preserve data usage while blocking third-party cookies and tracking scripts as well. At the same time, it prevents you from accessing known malicious websites, including phishing schemes and malware-embedded sites, to further protect users and their data.

Last June, IPVanish also launched a Link Checker service built on VIPRE's tech. The tool comes as a standalone website and is free to use for everyone, whether or not you're an IPVanish subscriber, to verify the safety of URLs before clicking and protect against phishing scams.

The provider has recently integrated a similar tool on its iOS and Android VPN apps. This is a QR Code Checker that allows users to scan QR codes to detect malicious links and phishing traps.

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Music has always had a love-hate relationship with technology. Every time a new tool shows up, there are some who are concerned that it will be the end of real music.

The same questions arose when the synthesizer appeared, when the drum machine became popular, and any time auto-tune is used on a popular song. But Cher proved that there was music after auto-tune, just as there is life after love.

Claims about the death of authenticity are almost always exaggerated, and accusations of 'cheating' sound absurd in retrospect. Eventually, people learn to sing along to the new tune, or at least admit that electric guitars didn't go around smashing up every acoustic version.

All that is overture for people playing the theme from Psycho over AI's presence in music. I'm not discounting the seriousness of a report by French streaming platform Deezer that 18% of songs being uploaded these days are entirely AI-generated. That’s over 20,000 robot-made tracks per day. Twice the number from just a few months ago. Cue the dramatic sting (you know the one, Dun, Dun, Dun!)

It’s easy to look at numbers like that and feel a little nervous. After all, the music industry already runs on razor-thin margins for most artists, and now the meager streaming revenue is going to go to robots? Add in the fact that major players like Universal, Sony, and Warner are actively suing AI music platforms like Suno and Udio for allegedly training on copyrighted songs, and you can see how high the stakes are.

The music industry is not the entirety of music, however. I firmly believe in robust protection for artists who face AI stealing their work or training on it to mimic them. But that's a business battle, not a war for the fate of human creativity.

AI has a place in the recording studio. Once upon a time, many people proclaimed that sampling portended the end of music, with a future of nothing but artists stealing other artists’ work. Now it’s the backbone of entire genres of music. Auto-tune has evolved from a gimmick to a legitimate tool across many music styles. And the aforementioned electric guitar was dismissed for being too loud within many people's lifetimes.

Nonetheless, here we are enjoying music made by people pushing buttons, twisting knobs, and bending sound in new ways. AI is just the latest tool. And like any tool, it’s only as good or bad as the person using it.

Allegro AI

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

What worries me isn’t the existence of AI music. It’s the idea that we might start mistaking it for a replacement instead of a collaborator. Left to its own devices, AI doesn’t make bad music, but it can feel empty or just a warmed-over imitation of real music. It’s elevator music, but more expensive.

That’s not to say it’s useless, far from it. AI can be a brilliant creative assistant. Stuck on a chord progression? It can help. Need to experiment with a new genre you’ve never written in? Fire it up. Want to turn a poem into a melody just to see what happens? Absolutely. AI can help bring the song in your head to life, but it won't do so without you as the source of the ideas.

The real debate should be about how to use AI in music, not whether to ban it outright. I'd be worried about the sheer number of AI songs appearing on streaming services if I were a musician, but not because AI created them. I'd be more concerned about where they are coming from, who's profiting from them, and if any artists' work was illicitly used to train the AI behind the songs.

And it's not like every human track is a unique snowflake. A lot of music shares DNA, and the most popular songs sometimes come across as only slightly tweaked versions of each other. Trends are trends, and algorithms have already been shaping what we listen to, nudging us toward the familiar, the market-tested, the sonically safe. AI isn’t creating that dystopia, though it may be speeding up the process.

Still, AI could be a boon to music as a whole. Imagine a rural teenager with few resources who can't hire a band, a piano teacher, or a recording studio. With a phone and some imagination, they could use free AI music tools to experiment and share the music in their minds.

AI music isn’t the death of music as a concept. It’s a powerful tool that should be handled carefully. It can be a shortcut, but it shouldn't be a thief, and it can't give a song any soul.

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Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 208, for April 19.

Want to find the best true-wireless earbuds? Start here with CNET's various top earbuds lists, curated by style, price and use case.

The minute-plus-long video displays the baby squid's see-through body, which looks as if it's made of glass.